Different shades of The Green

Mondays are often the most difficult night to get a big turnout at a show, much less to get people moving. But Hawaiian band The Green has never really had much of a problem with either. Having only formed in 2009, the band blew up last year with their self-titled debut album, which hit the top of Billboard’s Reggae charts and was named the iTunes “Best Reggae Album of 2010.” With support coming from all sides, they’ve embarked on a seemingly never-ending tour around the country, stopping by TT The Bear’s in Cambridge Monday night to share their rowdy live show.

Despite these labels and awards, it would be unjust to call The Green purely a reggae band. Sure, they rely on its musical form as their backbone and their fallback, but it’s hardly what composes their live show. The six piece collective creates all the nuance and invention you can get from six ambitious musicians with a simple base to work with, creating pinpoint vocal harmonies and moments of madness that are simply blasted away by the raw strength of their rhythm section. And just because they hail from the beaches of Hawaii doesn’t mean this is your typical Jack Johnson surfer-vibe with a bassline and dreadlocks. There are times when The Green sounds like the power of Led Zeppelin bear-hugged the thrash of Megadeth while jumping up and down on a grand piano on each up beat… in the best way possible.

And all of their different sides were on display Monday night, as they busted out album tracks “Alone,” spearheaded by lead singer Caleb Keolanui, and album opener “What Will Be Will Be,” sung by singer, guitarist, and the exquisitely dreadlocked Zion Thompson. “I’m Yours” was the first to really engage the crowd in the set, with a complete breakdown into soft jazz piano by keyboardist Ikaika Antone giving way to a back and forth with the audience on the chorus. “Rootsie Roots” showed off some of Thompson’s metal guitar chops, while “Dearest Sylvia” morphed into a free form jam that included guest spots from outwardly drunk bassist Jay Schmidt and vocalist Jordan Miller of opening band The Movement, with Miller especially throwing down a freestyle that was captivating to watch.

Pushing the limits of the genre, the quick dub pace of “Love Machine” had an almost Latin feel, while the smooth sounds of “Wake Up” were more classic 60s and 70s reggae. “Trod The Hard Road” was dedicated to all those who came and filled the venue who still had a hike to get home; when you come from Hawaii, it seems, you learn to appreciate the travel involved to get places. The band’s breakout song “Love I,” with it’s soothing-but-not-preachy chorus, ended the set, and a slightly unhinged encore followed to send the rowdy crowd on their way to a less-than-enthusiastic Tuesday morning. But with a night that delivered on much more than the promise of “the best reggae out of Hawaii,” most of the people pouring into the streets probably didn’t mind.